The New Way
by isabella13x
Summary: Ember had a normal life. When she lost her mom, she was told that she was being sent to live with her mysterious father figure. She doesn't know anything about him, only that his name is Gerard Way. How can she trust him when he was never there for her?
1. Chapter 1  I Have A Dad

September 27, 2011:

I have a dad now.

One simple little sentence, but it changed my life. I've lived with my mother for the past 14 years. I was born in Belleville, New Jersey, and my mother kept my father a secret for the entirety of my life. Until today, I've never known anything about his even existing. My name is Ember, and this is my story.

I was raised by my mother – and it's not that she never did anything for me, because she has done _everything_ for me – it's just that she treated me the same way since I was 5. And that's like a 5 year old. I have never had grandparents (not that they don't exist, but that they have never been part of my life). Mom says that they never forgave her for running off and getting pregnant before she finished school, so she stopped talking to them. My mom's sister cut all ties with her too. I don't even know where she lives, or my grandparents, for that matter.

Mom always worked 2 jobs. That's how it worked in this family. But now, she can't take care of me. I can't see her anymore, because she isn't here anymore. She was hit by a car after her shift at the restaurant, and died shortly after she was taken to hospital. That's all I need to say about it. Ever. I was put with a foster home a week ago, and today the social worker came and told me that my mother put him in her will. She left me to him, without even telling me his name.

So I'm being flown to California, alone, and I'm going to see my dad. I'm not sure if I look like him, or what he does for a job, and I sure as hell aren't sure as to whether I should be scared, nervous, or excited. I mean, this guy didn't even come to mom's funeral – what am I supposed to think?

Anyway, the social worker drove me to the airport, gave me my tickets, and told me my father's name so I could find him when I arrived.

My father's name is Gerard Way.


	2. Chapter 2 Meeting Gerard

California. It's actually...not that bad. I like it here. And I like Gerard – I mean, my dad. He's really sweet. I don't think i'll ever forget the first time i saw him. I got off the plane, and ended up standing there awkwardly. A flight attendant walked over and started to ask me questions.

"Hi there, hon, are you alright? Are you waiting for someone?" I know she was trying to help, but it was kind of annoying.

"Umm, yes, um...my dad is supposed to pick me up."

"Well, why don't you tell me what he looks like, maybe I can help you find him." She said in that over-sweet voice.

"Um, sorry, i can't tell you what he looks like." I answered quietly.

"Why not dear? I won't hurt you, y'know!" she laughed.

"Because I've never seen him myself." I answered.

"Oh. Well, if you need anything... oh my goodness!" She looked over at a man approaching us. I had to admit, he did stand out quite a bit, mainly because of his vibrant red hair. But it wasn't like some old guy trying to look young – he could really pull it off. And he looked sort of...nervous?

"Hey there," he said in a calm voice. "Are you Ember Perrola?" he asked me.

"Yes..." I said, and as I looked at his eyes, I noticed they were the same hazel colour as mine. The hazel colour that I had never seen on anyone else. I had a flashback to one of the rare moments mom had ever mentioned him. I was about 4.

"Momma, why does nobody have eyes like me?"

"Because you're special, sweetheart." She answered over her shoulder, while she tried to pack my lunch for the first day of school.

"But momma, even you have eyes like everyone else. My eyes are alone. No one is like me. I won't fit in at school."

"Sweetie, you'll do fine. You're funny, smart, pretty, and special. And besides, I know one person who has the same eyes as you."

"Really momma? Who?"

"You're daddy." She answered, but when I enquired about my dad from that day on, she would purse her lips and tell me to go play or something.

I snapped back to reality.

"Hi, umm...dad."

And the way he looked at me... I don't know, it was sorta...weird. Like he was trying to memorize my face or something.

The flight attendant seemed to understand, and she backed away quickly to help an elderly couple with finding the luggage pick up.

"So, umm..." I said stupidly. God, I'm finally meeting my dad, he looks pretty cool, and I screw it up like an idiot by saying 'So' and 'Um'. Great.

"You look so much like your mom. Except-"

"My eyes – I have your eyes." I cut him off.

"And my hair." he added. Obviously, it would make sense for this man to have naturally black hair, rather than flaming- kool aid hair.

"So, Ember, I should probably tell you... I'm married and I have a two year old daughter." He said quietly.

"I-wait-so... I have a sister? And a step mom? Ger- I mean, dad, I- I don't think I'm ready to deal with that yet, I mean, I just met you and I'm in a new state and I-" Oh great. My nervous habit was kicking in, the one where I couldn't shut up.

"Don't worry, Ember. I don't want to freak you out, and I understand. How about we go out for lunch, and maybe a walk, first?" He said.

"All right."

My father, for the first time in my life, hugged me, put his arm around my shoulder, and led me to the airport exit. Just like a dad should.


	3. Chapter 3 What Dad Does For A Living

"So, what do you think of California so far, Ember?" Gerard asked

"I, um, actually, I really like it here, I think." I said, glancing at him, and then back out the window.

"Well, I figured we could go to an Italian restaurant Lyn-Z and I always take Bandit to-"

"Who's Lyn-Z? And Bandit?" I asked. I had met people named Lindsey, but he pronounced it differently. And Bandit – was that a boy's name, or a girl's?

"Lyn-Z is my wife, and her name is Lindsey -"he smiled as if he had heard my thoughts. I wouldn't have been surprised if he had. "And Bandit is our daughter."

"How old is she?" I asked – it didn't really matter, but I figured that if I was going to live with her I should know if I would be fighting with someone over a bathroom every morning.

"She's 2." He answered.

"Oh." No fighting over bathrooms, I guess.

We pulled into a restaurant parking lot, and Gerard pulled into a space right by the door.

"Here we are, I know it isn't much, but the food's great here, and it's really quiet. Mostly because most people never hang out in this area, but us from Belleville don't mind if it's a little... how would you say it...?" he trailed off.

"Sketchy?" I answered

He laughed. "Yeah, that's how we could place it!"

He opened his door, and I followed him out of the car and into the restaurant.

"Hey! Mr. Gerard Way! How're you doing today? And who's this with you?" A short man at the bar counter called about 4 seconds after we walked through the door. I guess Gerard was pretty recognizable, with the hair and all.

"I'm fine, thanks, Dante, and I'd like you to meet my, um, my daughter." He said the last part very quietly.

"No way, Mr. Way! That's definitely not your little girl – I saw Bandit come in with you the other day, and you carried her in!" Dante laughed as if what my dad had just said was the funniest thing he had heard all week.

"Well, um, it's a long story. I'll talk to you some other time, Dante, but right now I need to talk with my girl." Gerard answered him coolly. I stood there awkwardly.

"Well, alright Gerard, but I still don't know if I believe you. Anyway, good job on that last show you played – my little nieces, Francesca and Aiva, went, and they had a great time! Alright, I'll go and start your regular in the back – pepperoni, cheese, mushroom, and onions, right?" He asked

Gerard – dad – looked at me, and asked if I was fine with that.

"Yeah... that's exactly what I eat on my pizza, too." I muttered. I was so friggin confused by the whole 'show' thing Dante was talking about. Gerard looked sort of uncomfortable.

We sat down at a small table, and I stared at my dad, waiting for an explanation.

"Well, umm, the thing is... I play in a band." He explained.

"It's just a little thing you do though, isn't it?" I asked him, and I knew the answer.

I was wrong.

"Well, no. You see, I went to art school after high school, and I- I wasn't happy. I watched 9/11. It made me realize that drawing pictures for corporations wasn't helping anyone. So I called my friend, Ray Toro, and he called Mike Pedicone, who drummed for us. We also asked Mikey, my brother and your uncle, to play bass for us. And he got his friend, Frank Iero, to play second guitar for us. And we're much bigger now. We had another drummer – Bob Bryar – who left...recently." He swallowed, and continued. "Anyway, now we've been playing with Mike Pedicone, he's a nice kid, and, well... have you ever heard of a band called My Chemical Romance?" He rushed the last sentence so quickly that I almost didn't hear it.

"No, sorry, mom didn't really like music." I answered

"She – no, I don't believe it. You must have listened to something, anything, with her." Gerard said, almost frantically.

"Not anything in particular. She said that it reminded her of things she wanted to forget."

"Hmm. Well, I hope this doesn't bother you, but our home is very musical. And... I don't want to sound like an ass, but it's not going to change." He was being completely honest. And I was surprised – mom had never swore in front of me. But this man – Gerard Way – my father – was... oh my God. My father was in a band. And he was famous. It- I laughed.

"You're joking, aren't you?" I laughed. "Really funny, but seriously, it's not like you can never tell me what you do for a living!"

The look he gave me was so brutally flat that I realized he wasn't lying. My stomach dropped, and I gulped.

"You're serious?" I asked quietly

"Completely."


	4. Chapter 4 The Beach and Jayden

**hi to anyone reading this, sorry i haven't said anything before... anyway, this chapter isn't that long, but i'm not sure if i'm going to write really long chapters. like you, i'm still learning who Ember is. so yeah, thanks for reading and thanks for encouraging and supporting me!**

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><p>Gerard and I walked along the beach, about a foot way from each other. I didn't know what to think, let alone feel. So far today, I had flown into a new state, met my father for the first time in my life – which just so happened to be 14 years – and learned that his actual job was that he was the lead singer in a world famous band. That's a bit freaking scary for a girl that was hated, judged, laughed at, and alone as far as school went.<p>

"So, I don't want to rush you, but it's getting kind of late, and I do think that we should head home – I'm sure that Lyn-Z and Bandit would want to meet you before Bandit has to go to bed." Gerard mentioned quietly.

"Yeah, I guess so." It was weird, walking down the beach with my dad, because he had to wear his hood up so he wouldn't be recognized. It was something I would have to get used to, seein how he was, y'know, my dad.

Gerard stared walking toward the place where he had parked his car, and he held the door open for me as I climbed in the front seat. He closed the door, and walked around to the driver's seat. He cimbed in, turned the car on, and drove out.

"What are they like? LynZ and Bandit, I mean." I asked quietly.

"Well, they're my wife and daughter, so I could rattle on about how great they are, but I'll just say that Lynz is also a musician ,and Bandit's a character – she's just starting to try and walk, but she's already figured out that I'm a complete sucker and will carry her anywhere. I think it's because I know I missed your whole childhood, and I'm scared that because I'm in the band that that's what she'll remember. My not being there." He said. Wow. He was being really honest with me, and I had no freaking clue how to answer after that.

So I shut up and worried about what I was going to say to my new family. I couldn't just walk in and be too polite because I was going to be living with them. I couldn't be rude because I was going to be living with them. Again, Gerard read my mind.

"Don't worry, they're going to love you. Just be yourself."

"I can't be myself." Shit. Why did I say that?

Gerard turned to me. "Why not, Ember? You're a great kid, anyone could tell that."

"I'm not. I'm ugly, stupid, and no one has ever liked me." I answered. I was close to tears.

"No. You are beautiful – I mean, you're mom and I are really good looking people,"

I laughed, but a tear leaked out.

"And you're not stupid – I've been talking to you all day, you're really easy to have a conversation with – and I'm sure you have had one friend in your life, haven't you?" He asked

"Well, there was Jayden..." I answered quietly

"See, and I bet he misses you so much – was he your boyfriend, or...?"He trailed off questioningly.

"No, he umm, he was gay-"

"That's gr- wait, what do you mean, was?" He asked worriedly

"He was, because he's dead. He killed himself because of other kids making fun of him." I answered.

I thought back to the last time I had seen him, hours before he... he was my best friend, my world – we had gone out, and while we were out some assholes from our school had found us. The things they said... I don't want to think about it. But he was so young. He was 13. Last year, he had been alive. I thought about his note – his mom had found it beside him when she found him in the bathroom, covered in blood. He had written a note to me.

'_And to Ember, you are so important to me. Don't think I don't believe in you. You're strong. I'm sorry for doing this, but I can't stand it anymore. I'm finished. But you aren't. Stay strong, tell my mom that I'm doing this so I don't disgrace her like they say I do. I'm done. I don't want this anymore, and I know you will understand this...maybe not today, or anytime soon, but you will. I love you Ember, sweetie, and please don't ever forget me. You did a lot for me, and I am not throwing that away. I'm throwing away me, because that's what the real problem is. I love you, Em, fire girl. – Jay_

I was full out sobbing in the front seat now, and Gerard had pulled the car over – no, into a driveway. I guess we were home. I didn't give a damn. I wanted Jay. I wanted mom. Gerard leaned over and hugged me. He told me everything would be fine. He said he loved me, and that he wanted to help me. No one had ever said that they wanted to help me – probably because I had never told anyone before.

"H-h-how are y-you g-g-going to h-help m-me?" I choked out between sobs.

"Whichever way I can, baby girl." He said softly.


	5. Chapter 5 Meeting the family

**Hello to all my readers - and sorry about this talking so long. I've been really busy, and was trying to think of how to write this chapter, so I hope you don't mind that I wrote it IN SOMEONE ELSE'S POINT OF VIEW! anyway, yeah, i hope you like it - and please review!**

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><p><strong>Gerard<strong>

I held Ember close to me as she sobbed. I had no clue how she hadn't had a nervous breakdown in her life, with all the shit she's had to deal with. She was strong – that much was for sure. But she couldn't stay all closed up for the rest of her life, that much I knew. I know what it's like to lose someone. When Mikey and I lost our grandma, it was...well, it was hard. But we had our whole family there with us. When Ember lost Jayden, it was her and her mom. And I have no idea as to how her mom reacted.

"So, do you wanna talk about it? I mean, that's a hell of a lot of shit for a 14 year old to have to deal with." I asked quietly.

"No. It's fine. I'm over it."

And she was. She seemed to have let it out, at least for now, and was wiping any remaining tears from her face.

"I'm ready to meet them. Lynz and Bandit." She said in a slow, steady voice

"You sure? I mean, we could drive for a bit if you're still nervous or-"

"Nope. I'm good. Let's just go, okay Ger- I mean, dad." She blushed.

"Alright then, let's get your stuff inside." I opened the car door, and climbed out. I noticed the living room curtain move – I guess Lynz had been waiting for us. Ember climbed out of her door and grabbed her carry on from the plane. We walked quietly up to the door, and I turned to her.

"Ready?" I asked. She looked at me, bit her lip, and nodded. "Alright, let's go."

And I opened the door.

I walked in ahead of Ember, and was met with an excited squeal – Bandit was still up. I guess Lynz had decided it was important for her to meet her new big sister, or at least, more important than going to bed on time.

"Hey Bandit, sweetie! Whatcha doing, it's past your bedtime!" I asked her in mock disapproval, while walking over and picking her up. I was answered with a squeal and a smile consisting of 4 teeth.

I noticed Ember was watching us.

"Em, come here, I want you to meet her. It's your house too, y'know." I said

She quietly walked over in a cautious manner. I wondered where Lynz was. Normally she would have been waiting in the door to be the first to say hello, but she was nowhere in sight. Weird.

"Bandit, I want you to say hi to Ember – she's going to be living with us now." I told the tiny 2 year old.

She looked over at Ember, and Ember gave her a little wave. That did it. Bandit's face lit up like it was Christmas and Santa had given her a pony or something. She reached out to Ember and I asked Ember:

"Do you wanna hold her?"

She looked a bit surprised, but when she looked back at the little girl with the outstretched arms, she kind of melted. She held her arms out in answer to what I had asked her.

"Hey, Bandit." She said to the smiling toddler that was already cuddling up in her arms. "Has anyone told you that you have the coolest name on the planet?" Ember smiled and looked up at me. "Seriously though, how did you think of Bandit?"

"I don't know, I thought it would be awesome if her name was really neat, and individual, and Lynz and I agreed that Bandit was really individual. It's like your name – something different."

Ember smiled and rocked Bandit. And Bandit looked so happy and comfortable that anyone could have guessed they were related. The fact that they had never met, not so easy to guess. Just then, someone grabbed me.

"THE FUC- oh my god, Lynz! You scared the shit out of me!" I gasped.

"I try, you know." She smiled smugly. "So, this is our new girl – Ember, right?" she looked at Ember.

"Y-yes, hi, Mrs. W-"Lynz cut her off.

"Don't worry about the formalities, okay sweetie? Call me Lynz; Mrs. Just makes me feel old." Lynz laughed and hugged Ember. I could tell Ember was relieved that Lynz had accepted her as well as Bandit had. I looked at my family – my whole family – and smiled. This was right, and it would all work out. I just hoped Ember felt the same way.


	6. Chapter 6  Remebering Mandy

**Gerard**

It was late – Lynz had pried Bandit off of Ember just long enough to put her to bed, and I was left to take her to her room. She was half asleep on the couch, so I poked her in the arm.

"Ember." No response.

"Em." A quiet grunt and a twitch of the arm. So she was going to ignore me. I don't think so.

"EM!" I yelled. That worked.

"What the hell dad? I was sleeping, y'know!"

"Yeah, I know. I just thought you might be more comfortable in your own room." I answered smugly, motioning to the awkward position she had managed to sprawl on the couch in.

"Um, yeah, sure – I'll just get my bags-"She stood up.

"No need, I moved them earlier, just go up and go to sleep, alright?"

"Okay. Thanks, dad." She turned and started to walk away. I put my hand on her shoulder, turned her around, and hugged her.

"I love you Ember. Have a good sleep." I kissed the top of her head. She seemed a bit surprised, but managed to mutter, "Love you too, thanks." Before she turned to the stairs. She stopped.

"Wait – which room am I in?" She asked

"Second on the right – it's the only one with grey walls – we didn't know how you wanted it to look, so we left it for you to decide."

"Th-thanks. So much. Good night, dad." She turned and trudged up the stairs. I sat down on the couch and thought about everything that had happened. Not too soon I was joined by the one person I needed to talk to.

"Whatcha thinking about, Gee?" Lynz snuggled up next to me on the couch.

"Everything. It's gonna be pretty different around here now, isn't it? I mean, Bandit's little, and I'm growing and learning from her every day. But Ember, she's already grown up. Sort of. I mean, the shit she's been through is crazy." I hesitated, unsure of whether I should tell Lynz about Ember's friend, or if that was something she wanted to be kept quiet. I decided now wasn't the time to tell her. It had been a long day.

"So, am I going to hear about her mom, or what? I mean, how long were you together before...and did you know she was pregnant before you came here, or what?" She looked at me in a way that said 'I'm not sure what the hell you did, but I need the truth – otherwise your life can be very unpleasant.'

"Well, her mom's name is-was- Amanda. We all called her Mandy. We met in high school, were friends for awhile, and we started dating after graduation. It was October 1996 when she came up to me one day and told me. Just like that. She walked up to me and told me she was pregnant."

"And how did you react?" Again with the look.

"Well, I was happy about it. Really. I said that it was great, that I loved her and that I was ready to help with the baby, and she told me she didn't want me anymore. I was confused at first – I mean, we weren't that young, but it wasn't like we had stable lives or anything, I mean – I was at art school and she was working 2 part time jobs. But she didn't want me. I just-"I thought back to when it had happened.

_It was a cool day in October, and I was sitting in the kitchen of our tiny apartment in Belleville – where Mandy had grown up. I didn't mind it, though. We were happy, and we got by. Just then I heard the bathroom door slam, and Mandy came down the hall._

"_Hey babe, what's up?" I asked. She hadn't been feeling well lately, and had just spent an hour in the bathroom._

"_We need to talk. About us." She said. I stopped smiling immediately._

"_Why? Are you alright? Do you need me to-"_

"_No. I need space." Well, that was...wait, what the fuck? Space? What did she mean by that? I got my answer quickly._

"_Gerard, I'm pregnant."_

"_Well, that's-that's amazing! Oh my god, we-you-we're having a baby! WE'RE HAVING A BABY!" I was ecstatic. The woman I loved and I were starting a family._

"_No, Gerard, it's not. I'm not going to give up the baby, but I don't love you anymore. I will not harm this baby, but I'm leaving. And I'm keeping the baby." She was set on this. I wasn't._

"_What do you mean? You don't want me, so you're taking my kid and leaving? How is that fair to him-or her- that you can just pick up and leave? How are you going to take care of this baby yourself?" I was sad, but I was beginning to get furious._

"_That's all, Gerard. I'm packed, and I'm leaving. I'm done."_

"_Will-will I get to meet him? Or her?" I asked quietly, already knowing the answer but hoping desperately that I was wrong._

"_No. Not as long as I'm with him-or her." She stood up, walked down the hall, and picked up her suitcase. She walked towards the front door, turned, and said:_

"_You've done enough, I'm finished, and I wish I could say that I love you...but I can't. I'm sorry, Gerard." And that was it. She was gone. I would never see my baby – or Mandy – again. Until..._

I snapped back to reality – and noticed Lynz was wiping tears from my eyes.

"Oh my god, I'm such an ass, I'm sorry Lynz baby, I just... I was just..." I struggled to find the right words.

"Remembering. I know, it hurts, but we're a team. I'm here for you. We'll get through this, and so will Ember. I love you so much Gerard." She clasped the sides of my face, leaned in, and kissed me. I wanted to believe her so badly. And for a moment – or however long that kiss lasted – I did.


	7. Chapter 7 The Lesson

**Ember**

I woke up and had a minor panic attack. I was in a strange room with grey walls. It took me a minute of hyperventilating before I remembered that I had a new home now. _Get a grip, Ember. You live in California now. With Gerard. Your dad. And his wife and baby._ Wow. A lot of shit can happen in a day. I decided I might as well get up and begin my journey to find the washroom. I needed a shower.

Twenty minutes later, I stepped cautiously out of the shower and dried off. I threw on a plain blue t-shirt and jeans, and did my hair and brushed my teeth. I trudged out of the bathroom and headed down stairs. I smelled coffee – mmm, I missed that smell. Mom hated when I drank it, she always said it would stunt my growth, but I could already accept the fact that I had been 5'1 for over a year, and I probably wasn't going to grow anymore. I walked to the coffee pot slowly and grabbed a mug. Mmm. I love coffee – have I mentioned that?

Just then, I heard someone walk into the kitchen.

"Morning, Em. Didja sleep well?" It was Gerard, and he had a small Bandit attached to his hip.

"Yep." Not much of an answer, but still. It wasn't even 8 in the morning.

"Well, I was wondering what you wanted to do today, we could hang out here, go shopping, go to the beach, whatever you want." He said

"Umm, I don't know- I'm fine with staying here." I answered

"Alright then. So, how's the coffee? Not like it matters, though. I'm addicted to it. What was it Mikey always says? Oh yeah, 'gotta pick your poisons'." He chuckled to himself. I stood there awkwardly. I had heard the name Mikey before, but I wasn't sure who exactly he was and how Gerard knew him. I didn't feel like asking. I finished my coffee before Gerard, who was struggling to drink, read a note Lynz had left (saying she had to go to Jamia's – again, someone I didn't know) and hold Bandit.

"I'll take Bandit, if you want, Gerard." I offered.

"Thanks Em." He handed her over and she gave me a little pat on the head. I walked over to the front window and looked out. I saw a group of teenagers – probably just a bit older than me – walking down the sidewalk with backpacks. That shouldn't have surprised me – not everyone's lives were changing. Just mine. I noticed one boy in the group – he stood out more than the others, but not in a bad way. He had short, dark hair and dark eyes. He was wearing ripped jeans and an old concert tee. I tried to get myself to look away, but I couldn't. I'm weak, so what? As the boy and his friends – well, I guess they were his friends – turned the corner, I felt Bandit struggling in my arms. I put her down on the couch, which was a nice break for my arms, and sunk down beside her.

"So, I guess we're sisters now, huh, B?" I asked her

She smiled up at me with her dark eyes – I guess I was the only girl here with Gerard's – and nodded. Just then Lynz walked in through the door.

"Hey Bandit, hi Em. I was just at Jamia's and Frank's-"Gerard cut her off. I didn't think he could have heard her from the kitchen, but I was wrong.

"Oh really? How are the twins? How's Frank and Jamia?" he asked

"If you would kindly shut the fuck up, Gerard, I'll tell you." She answered seriously, but I think she was joking.

Silence from the kitchen. Then...

"Okay. Continue"

Lynz smiled. "They're fine. Cherry's walking now, and if Bandit wants to walk before Lily she better get a move on. Anyway, they want to come over tonight and meet Ember. And if she's alright with it, you might as well invite Mikey and Alicia, and Ray and Christa over."

"Alright. I'll call them later." Gerard answered.

Lynz picked up Bandit. "Anyway, I'm taking Bandit to her swimming lesson. I'll see you guys later." And she left the room.

Gerard walked in. "So, umm, do you wanna see our recording room?" He asked.

"Sure, just let me get my shoes and we can go." I answered, and I stood up.

"No need, it's right here in the house. C'mon, I'll show you." He headed upstairs and went into a room 2 doors down from my new room. As we passed my room, he said:

"Well, we're gonna have to get your room beautified soon, hey, Ember?" He smiled. Wait – did he say 'beautified'? That was so...girly. Really sassy. Weird. Gerard walked into the recording room and flipped on the light switch. I gasped. Even though I didn't play any instruments, it was incredible – the room wasn't huge, but there were at least 10 guitars, just as many basses, an upright piano, a drum set, and a glass window that looked into a tiny space with a microphone. Gerard smiled.

"It's nothing too fancy, but once we decorated in here it made it feel more...alive. It used to be plain grey walls, but we got bored of that, so we kind of...well, you can see for yourself."

I looked around and noticed the massive amount of colour and art in the room for the first time. There was the American flag painted on the ceiling with a spider on top of it. The walls were covered in comic book styled murals and symbols and characters. It was really incredible.

"So, what do you play, Ember?" Gerard looked at me.

"Umm... nothing. Mom said it wasn't important – I mean, I asked once for piano lessons and she said no, but... it's okay." I answered quickly and quietly.

Gerard walked over to the piano and dragged 2 chairs to it. He sat down in one, and patted the other.

"Sit." He said.

I walked over and sat down.

"Now, this is a middle C" He played a key near the center of the piano keys. I played it back. Within ten minutes I had learned all the keys and flats names, and we started scales. At 10:30, I was able to play the major scales, and Gerard suggested we take a break. I was so excited, I didn't really want to stop, but it was probably a good idea to eat something.

After lunch, Gerard and I sat down at the piano again. We never noticed when Lynz came home, but we did notice when a tiny child practically jumped on us from Lynz's arms.

"EEEK- Oh my god Bandit, you scared the shit out of me!" I yelped. She giggled. Lynz walked over to Gerard.

"So, have you called everyone about dinner tonight, or what?" She asked him

"Shit. No, I completely forgot." He face-palmed. Lynz headed for the door, muttering something about having to do everything for Gerard.

"Love ya too, Lynz sweetie!" He called after her in a sickeningly sweet voice. Lynz laughed and flipped him the finger without even turning around.

"So, you ready to meet the band tonight, Em? They're around here a lot, so they're pretty much family." Gerard said

"Yeah, I guess so...but what if they don't like me?" I said the last part quietly, even though Lynz was gone and Bandit was busy crawling around the room.

"Don't worry. They're all like kids in their own way." He smiled

"What do you mean by that?" I asked suspiciously

"Oh, you'll see. You'll see..." He smiled again.

I was freaked out completely about meeting these people.


	8. Chapter 8 My Chemical Family

**Hey readers! I just want to thank you all for reading and reviewing - it makes writing this story a lot of fun for me! Anyway, review with whatever - opinions, ideas, anything! lots of love!**

**bellagloria13**

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><p><strong>Ember<strong>

It's 5:00. I've been pacing around the house for half an hour, wondering what my 'extended family', as Gerard calls them, are like. I don't have to wait much longer, because as soon as I sit down on the couch, the doorbell rings. I get up, stand awkwardly for a second, and decide to wait about three feet from the entryway. Lynz rushes past me from the kitchen, but before she can open the door, whoever is on the other side turns the handle and opens the door themselves. Standing on the other side of the door is a short man with short, dark hair, holding a small girl. Standing beside him was a pretty, curvy woman with shoulder length dark hair, also holding a small girl – and then I noticed the girls looked exactly alike. Could this be...?

"Hey Lynz! How are ya? So, where is she – I can't wait to meet your new girl!" The short man said in an energetic voice – actually, everything about him seemed energetic – almost childlike, even. Then he saw me standing near the back of the entryway.

"Oh, hi there Ember! I'm Frank, Frank Iero, and this is my wife Jamia. This is Cherry-"He lifted the girl in his arms a bit- "And that's Lily that Jamia is holding." He smiled.

"Umm, hi, Mr. Iero." I said

"Oh no, don't call me 'Mr. Iero', call me Frank, or Frankie, or Uncle Frank. Whatever works." He laughed.

I smiled, and Jamia looked at me with a returning smile.

"You can call me Jamia, alright, hon?" I nodded. Frank kicked his shoes off and headed into the house, putting an arm around my shoulder as he went past me. We walked into the living room, and he placed Cherry down on the floor with Bandit. The two girls immediately started playing, and Gerard walked in.

"Hey Frankie, how's it going?" He asked, and the two men hugged.

"Not bad Gee, how about you?" I noticed Frank was at least 5 inches shorter than Gerard. Jamia and Lynz came into the room, dropped Lily off with Bandit and Cherry, and then headed into the kitchen, already in the middle of a conversation. Frank and Gerard were talking, and I sat down on the couch next to my dad. Just then, the door opened. Whoever was there didn't even knock, and I was about to find out why.

"Mikey! Hey bro, how's it going?" Gerard yelled from the couch. "C'mere, come and meet your niece!"

A tall, thin man walked in the room. He had brown hair – no, brown hair with a blonde chunk down the center combed back. He was kind of like a blonde vampire. It was actually pretty cool. He stood there awkwardly, and I was reminded of myself. He gave me a small smile.

"Hey, I'm Mikey. I'm, umm, I'm your uncle, so...umm...yeah." He sat down on the couch across from Gerard, Frank, and me.

"So, Mikey, where's Alicia?" Frank asked

"Oh, she's just in the kitchen. She had to give something she made for dessert to Lynz." Mikey was talking to Frank, but he kept glancing at me. Gerard noticed this too.

"Ember, Mikey's really excited to meet you and everything, but he doesn't always show his emotions. What is it all the kids call him again, Frank?" He turned to the short man, who was taking of his jacket and draping it over the back of the couch. I noticed he was covered in tattoos- but it wasn't strange looking at all. The tattoos looked...natural on him.

"Oh, they all call him 'The Master of The Poker face." Frank laughed, and Mikey blushed. Just then, a woman walked in the room. I guessed it was Alicia. She was wearing the coolest outfit I had ever seen on someone that wasn't a teen, but it didn't make her look like she was trying to look or act young. She looked like the outfit was made for her.

"Hey, I'm Alicia, Mikey's wife." She smiled, and held out her hand. I shook it, and noticed that she had a tattoo on her forearm. It was a heart with the word 'Forever' on a banner above the heart. It was beautiful. She noticed me looking at it.

"Oh yeah, Mikey and I got that done a while ago. He was almost crying – it was hilarious." She smiled. Mikey said something about how it was his allergies then, and blushed. "Another thing-"Alicia said, "He can't lie. He blushes, or gets really awkward." She laughed.

Once again, the doorbell rang. This time, whoever was on the other side waited for Lynz to open the door. I waited in the living room, surrounded by my new, extended family, and was not worried at all about meeting the newest addition to my family. A tall man with shoulder length, curly hair – actually, it was more of a fro than curly – walked in with his arm around the waist of a pretty woman with long brown hair.

"Ember, this is Ray, and his wife, Christa." Gerard introduced them.

"Hi." I said.

"Hey there, Ember." Ray smiled, and gave me a wink. "You look a lot like Mandy, y'know that? Except your eyes – and your hair." I smiled. It was nice to hear him say my mom's nickname. I hadn't heard it in a while. Ray and Christa sat beside Alicia and Mikey, and Jamia and Lynz walked in and sat on the floor with the babies. I looked around the room, and smiled. This was my family, and I realized that this was a group of the nicest people I had met in a long time. Just then, the smell of burning came in from the kitchen.

"Oh, shit – that's dinner!" Lynz yelped, and jumped up from the ground, running into the kitchen. A moment later, she spoke again.

"Fuck it, it's burnt. Gerard, order a pizza or something, okay?" She called. Gerard headed to the phone, called the pizza place – he seemed to have memorized the number – and ordered a ton of food. Frank looked at me, with a mischievous smile. Watch this." He said. Gerard headed back into the room, and Frank looked at him with the most serious face I had seen on him all evening.

"Gerard, what happened to the back of your pants?" He asked Gerard.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Gerard's face went pale

"I'm talking about the big ass hole in your pants and the brown mark on the back of your leg."

"The fuck – where is it?" Gerard spun around in a circle over and over again, trying to see what Frank was talking about. Everyone started snorting, and I noticed Frank was filming him with his phone.

"Hey Gerard." Frank called

"What? Can't you see I'm trying to find see the hole?" Gerard was legitimately freaking out now. He stopped spinning and looked at Frank. When he saw the camera, his face went dead cold.

"You. Little. Shit." He growled. That did it. Everyone in the room started laughing uncontrollably – even Mikey. Lynz walked in the room, and stared at us like we were crazy. We probably looked insane. It was hard to stop laughing, though whenever we looked at Gerard's face we died all over again. He looked like a pissed off sassy girl. I came to the conclusion that I didn't just like my new family – I loved them.


	9. Chapter 9 The Band and the Neighbor

**Hi readers! Sorry this took so long, but I was trying to figure out how to put this next chapter. Anyway...keep reviewing! I love hearing from you guys! You are the best!**

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><p><strong>Gerard<strong>

Frank's an ass. But two can play at that game. I'll get him back, and soon. And the worst part was, they all laughed at me. For about 10 minutes. And in front of Ember, too. Jesus, that was so embarrassing.

But whatever. I don't care. I'm not even mad.

The pizza guy showing up helped me save face, though. There was so much food that Frank had to get off the couch and come and help me, and everyone was so hungry that they forgot to laugh at me when I came back into the room. We stuffed ourselves with pizza and chicken wings – except for Frank. The little vegetarian ate his veggie pizza, while trying to convert everyone else to vegetarianism, or whatever it's called. After we had eaten most of the food, Ember turned to me.

"Dad, can I hear some of your music? Like a CD or something?" She asked. Oh yeah. She had never heard our band. I turned to the guys.

"I think we can do better than that, don't you, guys?" They all nodded, and we headed up to the music room.

"Oh, shit – Pedicone's not here. We don't have a drummer." Ray exclaimed. Frank face-palmed.

"Shit, you're right. Wait – doesn't Billie's son drum? It's not too late – we could call him and ask him to come over." Frank said.

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><p><strong>Ember<strong>

"Yeah, alright. I'll go and call him." Gerard left the room.

"Who's Billie?" I asked Mikey.

"Ohh, you don't know? He's the frontman for Green Day – you ever heard of them?" Mikey looked shocked about my lack of expertise.

"Well, um, mom didn't like music. She said it wasn't dependable enough, and that it wasn't a priority."

"WHAT?" Frank shouted "Mandy said that? _Mandy?_" He cussed under his breath.

"Yeah. Why?" I asked, getting defensive.

"She was the one who helped us get the band together. She's the inspiration Gerard had for some of our best songs. She was an amazing pianist, and she went to so many concerts that I don't think even she could keep track of them all." Frank said seriously.

"Wait- no, not my mom. She didn't like music, not at all. She told me." I was struggling to keep it together. Just then Gerard walked in, and, after looking at Frank, and then at me, noticed something was wrong.

"Ember? Are you okay?" He put his arm around my shoulder

"No! I'm not okay! I'm learning that my mom, who told me my entire life, lied to me! She never told me anything! I'm just a little pissed off!" I threw myself onto a chair. Just then, a voice outside the door spoke.

"Pissed off enough to write a song about it?" Came the boy's voice from the hall. And then he walked in. I stared at him for a moment. He smiled.

"I'm Joey Armstrong, I live down the street." He said. And then I realized who he was. He was the boy in the concert t-shirt and ripped jeans that I had seen going to school.

"I-I'm Ember." I stuttered, and blushed. He smiled, and his brown eyes grew soft.

"So, anyway, I heard you wanted to hear your dad and the guys play. Do you still want to, or should I go…?" He looked around the room. Everyone looked at me.

"N-no, go ahead. I don't want to bother anyone…" I trailed off. Everyone grabbed an instrument. Except Gerard. He grabbed the microphone from the small glass room and walked back. Ray and Frank were tuning guitars, Mikey was plucking random notes on a bass, and Joey had settled behind the drum set.

"How about we do 'Na Na Na', you guys?" Ray suggested. Everyone nodded. Gerard turned to Joey.

"You know the beat for this?" He asked

"Yup. Let's do this." Joey counted them in, and they started playing.

It was incredible.

They all put so much into it, you'd think that they were playing for a thousand people, and not just me. It was so great, and when they finished I applauded.

"Wow. Holy shit you guys, that was amazing." I said.

"Thanks, hon. Anyway, d'you wanna play?" Ray asked me. I shook my head.

"Sorry, I don't play." Gerard turned to them.

"Yeah right. I put her on the piano earlier, and she was great." He turned to me "Do you think you know the notes enough to try a song?"

"Umm, I think so." I sat at the piano, and Gerard brought a small book of sheet music over.

"This song's called 'Cancer'. Here, I'll show you a bit, and then you can try it." He played a bit, and I was surprised to realize that I could follow him through the notes. When he finished, he stood up. "All right, your turn."

I slid into the piano bench, and subconsciously noticed everyone looking at me. _Calm down, Ember. You can do this._ And I did. It was almost natural, and I know I messed up occasionally, but I made it through the whole song. Ray, Frank, Gerard, Mikey, and Joey all looked at me.

"How long have you been playing for?" Mikey asked

"Umm, since this morning. But I'm not that good."

"Yes, yes you are." Joey said, and I looked at him. I blushed, and he smiled. "Don't be so shy, we're neighbors now. Anyway, you guys, I had a great time, but I have a big ass test tomorrow and I need to pass. Nice meeting you, Em." He stood up and left.

Frank looked at me when we heard Lynz close the door after him.

"You _like _him, don't you? Awww! Ember likes Joey! That is so cute!" He smiled,and began singing the tune of 'Ember and Joey, sitting in a tree…'"

Ray cut him off. "Shut up, midget."

Frank's smile disappeared immediately. I'm _not _that short!" He protested. "I'm 5'4!"

Mikey smiled. "You keep telling yourself that, shorty."

"I'M NOT SHORT!" Frank looked pissed. "Ember's shorter than me!"

"Ember is also a 14 year old girl. You're turning 30 next month." Gerard looked smug. I guess he was getting even with Frank for the pants thing earlier. Ray decided to diffuse the situation.

"Guys, you wanna go play video games or something?" He asked worriedly, probably because he didn't want a fight in front of me. Frank calmed down.

"Yeah, sure." And that was it. We played Donkey Conga and Call Of Duty – or at least they played, and I lost - until 11 pm, when Jamia dragged Frank, Cherry, and Lily home.

"It's not that late, Jamia!" Frank protested.

"Maybe not for you, but you have 2 small girls who need sleep. We're going. Oh, and it was nice meeting you, Ember, dear." She smiled, and Frank hugged me before they left. Ray and Christa left next.

"We're gonna head out now too, alright? We have a small shopping trip tomorrow, and we need to get out early. Bye Ember!" Ray said, and he and Christa headed out. Mikey and Alicia were standing in the hall and getting ready to leave, too.

"You leaving now too, bro?" Gerard asked Mikey

"Yeah. We're going to Alicia's parents for lunch tomorrow, and I need some sleep. They're always saying how the cicrcles around my eyes make me look like a vampire." Mikey said, and he followed it with a yawn. Alicia waved and said goodbye, and they headed out, Mikey's arm around his wife's waist.

"Well, Ember? Whattaya think of your family?" Gerard asked

"I like them." I yawned. "I'm going to bed, I'm exhausted from getting my ass kicked at games." Gerard smiled and hugged me.

"Sleep tight."

I headed upstairs, cleaned up, and crawled into bed. Lynz stuck her head in the door.

"Sorry to bug you, just wanted to make sure you're okay." She asked

"I'm fine, thanks, Lynz." I answered. She smiled.

"Well, alright then. See you in the morning." She left and closed the door.

As tired as I was, I couldn't help but let my mind wander to the boy I had met today. Joey.

_C'mon, Ember. Stop thinking about people who aren't thinking about you._ I told myself, and I drifted off to sleep with Joey's face in my mind.


	10. Chapter 10 Gee and Lynz

**okay guys,, i am sooooo sorry. my computer got all messed up and i couldn't fix it because we had a blackout. anyway, this is the final chapter 10. please forget anything else i have written as chapter 10. again, i am so sorry, and thanks for being patient with me ~xoxo bella~**

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><p><strong>Gerard<strong>

I watched as Lynz closed the door to Ember's room. I followed her down the hall to Bandit's room, and stood by the door as she checked on the sleeping girl. _Our _girl. I smiled, and Lynz walked over to me.

"She's beautiful, y'know that?" I said quietly, slipping my arm around her waist. Lynz smiled.

"Yeah. She takes after both of us. I mean, honestly – it's not like she looks more like one of us than the other." Lynz stopped.

"What's wrong?" I asked, turning to face her and putting my hands on her waist, pulling her close.

"Nothing, it's just...what did Ember's mom look like? I mean, does Ember look more like you, or...?" She looked up at me. I thought for a moment, and Lynz blushed. "I'm sorry. If you don't want to talk about her, it's alright."

"No. I'm not afraid to talk about her. It's just...weird, what with everything that's happened over the last few days." I smiled sadly.

"I know, baby. It's been a crazy few days, and let's just remember that Ember was the one who travelled across the friggin' country to live with people she never met before." Lynz smiled. So did I.

"Well, Ember's got her mom's- I mean, Mandy's- heart shape face. She's a lot more slender – but not like she's too thin – which is like Mandy, too. She has the thick hair, but Mandy's was blonde. So Ember's got my hair and eyes." I smiled. I loved the name Ember. Mandy must not have given up all her spunk when she left and had our daughter. I just wished that she had let me meet Ember before.

"Hey, Gee? How did Mandy's lawyer find us anyway? Y'know, to send Ember here?" Lynz asked. Good question.

"I-I don't know. I know that you need to leave a guardian in a will if you have a child – like how Frank and Jamia are for Bandit – but I would have thought that since Mandy obviously didn't want me to know Ember that she would have picked her family or something." I frowned. I would have to call that lawyer and ask him about it some time. Lynz snapped me out of my thoughts.

"So, what do we do now?" She asked mischievously. I shrugged.

She smiled. "Well, the kids are in bed. We can do whatever we want..." She trailed off. I smiled.

"Ohh..."I said.

Twenty minutes later we were caught up in an intense match of Call of Duty. Lynz was standing on her chair, and yelling obscenities whenever she got hit.

"Shit! What the fuck, Gerard?" She yelled. I smiled evilly.

"What's wrong, honey bunch? Don't like losing?"

"No I fucking don't! Be nice to me – I'm your wife!" She shrieked again as I shot her from behind.

"NEVER!" I yelled, and, throwing my controller aside, I attacked. Lynz was standing on the couch, and I was sitting on the floor, so all I had to do was turn around and grab her calves.

"FUCK!" She shrieked as she fell on top of my legs. I laughed, and then she turned on me.

"I'll kill you, you asshole!" She started tickling me. Fuck. I'm so ticklish.

"Stop! STOP! Stop! Heehee!" I squealed. Lynz laughed.

"I win, Gerard."

"No – hahaha- no, I'm not giving up." I made a desperate attempt to flip her over so I could pin her down, but I don't have a lot of upper arm strength. Lynz laughed at my attempt and batted my arms away.

"Say I win, and I'll stop tickling you." She smirked. I couldn't stop laughing to say it, so I waved my arms around pathetically until she got the message. She leaned back against the couch.

And I grabbed her. I was just about to tickle her when I heard someone clear their throat. I looked up. It was Ember.

"Umm. Okay then. I'll just... go back to bed." She looked at us strangely, and then awkwardly turned and walked away. I looked at Lynz, and noticed how weird we really did look. She was sitting on my legs, and I was holding onto one of her arms, the other hand resting on her stomach – where I had been ticking her moments earlier. Lynz made eye contact with me. We burst out laughing, and were sobbing and holding each other from laughing so hard.

"Poor Ember." I gasped out. "She probably thinks we're crazy."

"We _are _crazy." Lynz said, and our eyes made contact again. I realized how much I really loved her – with everything in me – and smiled.

"What? Is there something on my face?" She asked self-consciously.

"No. I was just thinking."

"About what?" She asked suspiciously.

"You." I answered, and leaned towards her. We kissed, and, a while later, I was rocking her back and forth in my arms, singing softly to the sleeping woman in my arms.

"You can run away with me, anytime you want." I kissed her forehead, and fell asleep beside her on the couch.


	11. Chapter 11 Walking

**hi readers! sorry this took so long, but i've been really really busy lately and haven't really gotten around to writing. i'll try and be more consistant, and until then, keep reading and reviewing! **

**xoxo bella**

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><p><strong>Ember<strong>

I woke up to a bright beam of sunlight blinding me. I hissed and dove under the covers, and crawled to the opposite end of my bed. I cautiously stuck my head out from under the blankets, and was relieved to see that I had escaped the sunlight. I untangled myself from the blankets and climbed out of bed. I opened the door and walked into the hall, and noticed that no one else was awake yet. I padded quietly down the stairs and into the kitchen, where I started a pot of coffee. While I waited, I went back to my room and got dressed. I realized that my collection of dark skinny jeans may not be well suited for California, and decided that I would ask Gerard if he would take me to get some more weather-appropriate clothing. When I was decent, I brushed my hair and teeth, and once again went downstairs. I grabbed a travel mug out of the cupboard, wrote a quick note to Gee and Lynz – _Going for a walk, be back by 10 am_ – and left with my coffee. For a moment I wondered if I should be wandering around alone, but decided that I wouldn't leave the neighbourhood. I had just turned down the sidewalk in front of the house when I heard someone behind me.

"Hey, Ember!" It was Joey Armstrong, the drummer kid from down the street. I smiled, and turned around. He looked, as usual, amazing – jeans and a t-shirt, but still...

"Hi, Joey." I said, and I smiled.

"Where you going, all by yourself?" He asked, as he walked over.

"I don't know. I haven't been out of the house much, and no one else was awake yet." I started walking, and he kept pace with me, his long strides easily keeping up with my short, quick steps.

"Not really a surprise, there, Em. It's only 6:30 in the morning."

"What? Really? Wow, I never even noticed." I blushed at my own stupidity. Joey smiled.

"So, you don't mind if I join you, right?" He asked

"Nope, not at all!" I answered a bit eagerly, and I almost face-palmed. Damn, I needed to get it together. Joey smiled, and we walked in silence for a while.

"So... where are you planning on going to school?" He asked after a few minutes, breaking the tension.

"Oh, umm... I don't know. I haven't really thought about it much. Everything these past few days has just been really..." I trailed off, unable to find the right words.

"Confusing?" Joey asked. I smiled.

"Yeah, confusing. But at the same time, happy, sad, scary, and fun. Wow, I probably sound so messed up right now." I laughed quietly. Something about Joey was really comforting to me, but I couldn't place it. Joey's face became very focused, like he was thinking about something.

"What're you thinking about? Are you okay?" I asked, because of how quiet he had gone.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just trying to imagine what I would have done if I were in your place." He looked me in the eyes and studied me for a moment. I blushed, and turned my head away slightly. Joey looked away, too.

"So, um, what kind of music do you listen to?" He asked. Shit. I was beginning to hate this question.

"I don't really know. Mom didn't like music, probably because it reminded her of Gerard – I mean, dad. So I never really listened to music at home." I looked away, assuming that Joey would just give up on the conversation.

"Well, if you want, you can come over to my house. I'll show you some really great rock and punk bands. Plus, my parents want to meet you, after I told them about you last night." He said.

"Oh, I don't want to bug you guys, it's really early..." I answered honestly, checking my watch – 7:15 am.

Joey smiled. "Don't worry about it, they're all awake anyways. My brother's not home, though. He was at a friends' house last night for some sleepover. C'mon, my parents will love you!" He said, giving me a playful shove. I laughed and raised my hands in mock surrender.

"Alright, alright, I'll go!" I laughed, and we turned around and headed back to our street, talking about Joey's family.

When we reached the Armstrong's house, I became really excited, and at the same time, nervous. I now knew how famous Joey's dad was, and that both his parents owned an independent record company – and that Joey and his band, Emily's Army, had a record on it too. Joey noticed my expression, and put his hand on my shoulder reassuringly. I looked up at him, and smiled a little.

"There you go, don't worry about it. My parents are nice, at least to guests, and they already know Gerard and Lynz. Besides, we're just going to listen to music, okay?" He waited for me to answer, and I nodded. Joey opened the door and held it open for me. I walked in slowly, and looked around. The front hall was huge, and I noticed a large staircase leading upstairs from the side of the entrance. The living room was off to the side, and I could see a bit of the kitchen down the hall. Joey stepped in front of me and began to walk towards the kitchen, where I could hear people talking. I followed close behind him, looking around as I did.

"Hey, mom? Dad?" Joey called.

"Yeah?" A man's voice called back from the kitchen.

"I'm back!" Joey said, and before he could announce that I was there, the man – I guessed it was Joey's dad – answered.

"Well, no shit, buddy!" He laughed, and before Joey could say anything else, we walked into the kitchen. The couple looked at Joey and smiled, but looked somewhat shocked to see me.

"Mom, dad, this is Ember – Gerard's daughter from New Jersey, remember?" Joey introduced me, and I looked at his parents. They recovered pretty quickly and came over to introduce themselves.

Joey's mom got to me first, and gave me a quick hug. I saw his dad over her shoulder, and the resemblance was really weird. Joey's dad was shorter, and his hair was dyed black, rather than Joey's brown hair. The only other difference between them was that his dad had tattoos all over his arms. He smiled at me, and I blushed.

"Hey, Ember. I'm Adrienne. Wow, you do look quite a lot like Gerard." She smiled, and I knew I liked her. She was really pretty, like Lynz. Her eyes were a soft brown, like Joey's, and her long dark hair was in dreads. His dad was

"Hi, Ember!" Joey's dad came over and gave me a hug, too. He also looked at Joey and raised an eyebrow, and I saw Joey shake his head out of the corner of my eye.

"Umm, Ember and I were just talking, and I invited her over to listen to music. So we'll be going now." Joey took my wrist and started walking towards the staircase. I could feel the blood in my face as I blushed, but thankfully Joey wasn't looking at me. We went upstairs, and he walked into a pretty big bedroom. The walls were painted a royal blue, and he had a bunch of posters on them. I noticed that he had a drum kit, and that his room was a mess. But that didn't bother me. Joey walked over to an iPod dock and turned it on, and suddenly a loud guitar cut through the quiet room. Joey cleared off some space on his bed, and we sat down. He opened up a book full of different bands, and went through a section labelled 'The Clash'.

"The Clash is my favourite band, and that's who's playing now," He motioned towards the iPod dock, still screaming a mix of vocals, guitar, bass, and drums. It was loud, but I loved it. He glanced at me.

"What d'you think of them?" He asked.

"Actually, they're really great!" I smiled, and he smiled back.

"Oh, thank God. Most of my friends hate this music. Anyways, I'll show you some more, and then –"He was cut off by the doorbell ringing. He checked his watch, and I noticed it was 9:23 am. Shit. I already had an idea of who was at the door.

"Umm, Ember?" Billie called from downstairs. Joey looked at me.

"I was supposed to be home by 9:00. That's probably my dad." I smiled apologetically, and got up. Joey followed me out the door, and we headed downstairs, where I was met with a relieved – and pissed off – Gerard.

"Where did you go? Why didn't you call?" He asked, and then he hugged me. "Doesn't matter though, you're fine. C'mon, let's go home, we're taking you out today for some new clothes." Gerard turned to Billie and Adrienne. "Thanks for having Ember over, and sorry for bugging you so early." Billie smiled.

"Hey, no problem, Gerard. She wasn't a bother, and neither are you." The men shook hands, and I turned to Joey.

"Well, thanks for hanging out with me. I'll, umm – I'll see you around, I guess." Joey smiled and nodded, and Gerard put his arm around me as we walked out the front door and down the path to the sidewalk.

"What were you thinking, Em?" He asked.

"I don't know, I just wanted to walk around a bit." I said quietly, and Gerard gave me a quick hug.

"Alright, well, sorry for being so worried. You're just my kid, is all." He laughed, and we walked back home.


	12. Chapter 12 Sickness and Shopping

**hi again readers! sorry this took so long, but i've been trying to figure out where this story is going. i honestly don't have a plot, and i don't know how long this story is going to end up being. again, sorry. i'll try and update whenever i can, but lately i've been quite busy. keep reviewing - i love hearing from you all! -bella**

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><p><strong>Gerard<strong>

Ember and I turned down our pathway to the front door, and into the house.

"Lynz! We're home!" I called, but was met with silence. "Lynz?" I called again, and Ember looked worriedly at me. Just then we heard Bandit from upstairs, and Lynz called out.

"Gerard? I'm upstairs." She didn't sound very good, though. I ran upstairs, Ember right behind me. I went into mine and Lynz's room, where I saw her under a pile of blankets.

"Lynz, honey? What's wrong?" I placed my hand on her forehead. Her temperature was burning.

"I don't feel great, Gee. I think it's the flu." She coughed, and I noticed Ember leave the room. A few seconds later I heard Bandit's crib open, and B's excited squeal as Ember must have picked her up. I smiled, and so did Lynz.

"She's a great girl, Gee." Lynz said quietly.

"I know. Anyway, we'll probably be staying here today instead of shopping." Lynz frowned.

"Why?" she asked. I stared at her.

"You're sick, Lynz. I'll stay here and take care of you, and Ember and I will go out some other day." Lynz shook her head.

"Don't worry about me, Gee. I called Jamia, and she's gonna come over for the day. Frank needs to get some things for their house, so he's taking the twins today. I think he's planning on meeting you and Ember later, for lunch or something, and then he said he wanted to shop with you and Ember." She coughed.

"Why does Frank want to shop with us? He hates shopping with me." I said, remembering all the times Frank had made this point.

"I don't know – Jamia mentioned he had something to give Em, but I don't really know." She sighed, and the doorbell rang. "That's probably Jamia – anyway, you three go and have a good time. I'll be fine." Lynz smiled, and I kissed her forehead.

"Alright, but if you need anything –" Lynz laughed.

"Gee, I'll be fine. You worry too much, honey. Now go." She gave me a gentle shove, and I stood up and headed for the door, smiling at Lynz as I left. At the top of the stairs I saw Jamia talking to Ember, and Bandit playing with the carpet in the living room. I headed downstairs.

"How is she?" Ember asked, slight worry in her eyes.

"She's got the flu – but not the sick, throwing up kind." Ember looked relieved, and Jamia grimaced.

"She's not throwing up _yet_." She said, and then smiled. "Well, I'll go and see if she needs anything, and you guys go on. Frank wanted me to tell you that he'd meet you at the Cheesecake Factory at the Galleria at 11:30 for lunch." Jamia gave Ember a little hug, and headed upstairs. I turned to Ember.

"Do you think you can get B some breakfast? I'm gonna go have a smoke." I said, and Em nodded.

Once I was on the porch, cigarette in hand, I looked around. Twenty years ago, I never thought I could have this life. Once the cigarette was done, I stubbed it out and went back inside, where Ember had coaxed Bandit into her high chair and was watching her eat – or throw – her dry cereal. Ember looked somewhat frustrated, and was attempting to pick up every cheerio that was catapulted from the high chair. I laughed.

"Em, don't worry about it. Go upstairs and get yourself cleaned up, we're probably going to leave in twenty minutes or so." She nodded and left the kitchen. I finished what Ember had started y picking up the remaining cheerio's from the floor, table, and counter, and turned to Bandit.

"You really can be a pain in the ass, B, y'know that?" I said jokingly, and Bandit looked up at me innocently, widening her eyes. I picked her up and headed upstairs with her.

About twenty minutes later, Ember, Bandit, and I were in the car, pulling out of the driveway. I turned the dial on the CD player, and a Misfits CD blasted out of the speakers. For Bandit and Ember's sake, I turned it down, and Ember studied the CD's case lying in the console between the driver's and passenger's seats.

"The Misfits – Famous Monsters?" She read out loud.

"Yeah, Frank gave me that CD." I said.

"When?" She asked. I thought for a moment.

"Don't know, it was released in the late 1990's, so...maybe 10 years ago I got it." I said, thinking hard. Ember nodded and studied the CD booklet for awhile.

Eventually, we pulled off the highway and into the parking lot of the Galleria.

"Well, here it is – one of the biggest malls in California." I smiled. Ember looked somewhat...well, I don't know, but she didn't look very excited.

"What's wrong, Em?" I asked. I pulled into a parking space and turned the keys. The engine shut off.

"Nothing. I-I just...shopping's not really my thing." She blushed, and spoke again. "But I do need some new things, so let's just get this over with." She looked over at me and smiled. "And that band we were listening to – the Misfits? I really like them." She looked down at her lap, and I couldn't hold back the small smile that was spreading on my lips. Just then, Bandit made an impatient little noise in the backseat. I sighed, and got out of the car.

"Slow down, B. We're not here for you, today, alright?" She smiled, and I pulled her out of her car seat. Ember took her from me, and we began walking towards the mall. When we walked through the front doors, I couldn't help but get a bit excited – I mean, there were so many stores here, and we were spending the entire day shopping. I smiled at Ember, who was staring bewildered at the size of the mall. Then my phone rang. I answered it.

"Hello?" I asked. I never checked my caller ID.

"Gerard, it's Frank." Came the somewhat muffled response.

"Hey, Frankie! What's up?" I asked.

"Not much, just finishing up around the home hardware store. Jamia wants to repaint most of the house." I heard him sigh. I looked at Ember, who was being polite and trying not to listen in on the conversation.

"Anyway, Gee, I have something for Ember – well, Ray and I put it together, but he couldn't give it to her. He and Christa had some volunteer thing again." Frank said.

"What is it?" I asked, and Frank laughed.

"Like hell I'm gonna tell you, Gee! You can't keep a secret for anything!" I frowned.

"Yeah, I can, Frank. What is it?" I replied, a hint of anger in my tone. Frank must have noticed, because his response was somewhat short.

"You'll see. Meet me at the Cheesecake Factory at 11:30 for lunch, and I'll give it to Ember then." And he hung up.

"That bastard." I said, putting away my own phone.

"What's wrong, dad?" Ember asked, shifting Bandit to her other arm.

"Nothing, we're meeting Frank for lunch later. C'mon, let's go get a stroller for Bandit." I answered, and we headed off to the customer service desk.


	13. Chapter 13 Shopping

**hello again, readers! I am so sorry this has taken me so long, but I haven't really known what to do. Unfortunately, this is kind of a filler chapter (please don't get mad!) and i can't say when the next chapter will be written. I just want to thank all of you for your patience - you're reviews mean a lot to me. Thanks for reading, and keep reviewing! - bella**

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><p><strong>Ember<strong>

I had never seen a mall as huge as the Galleria. Gerard was excited, though, so I decided to go along with the whole 'shopping spree' thing he had planned. He dragged me through countless stores, and ended up finding more things for himself than I could for myself. I also found myself drawn to the same things I already had – jeans and hoodies. Gerard didn't seem to notice much, at first, but after awhile he caught on.

"Don't you want to try on something more...climate-appropriate?" He asked after I came out of a change room wearing jeans, a long-sleeve shirt, and a hoodie. I frowned.

"Umm, not really. This is comfortable." I said, looking in the mirror. Gerard sighed, and looked at his watch.

"Oh shit! It's 11:20! Em, get changed, we gotta go meet Frank!" I scrambled back into the change room, switching into my regular clothes in record time. Gerard and I headed out of the store, Gerard pushing Bandit in her stroller.

"So, umm, where were we supposed to meet Frank?" I asked him. Gerard walked faster, saying,

"At the Cheesecake Factory." He jogged slowly, and I picked up the pace. He wasn't very tall, but he was taller than my 5'1 frame. The next several minutes passed in a blur of jogging, and I felt like we were in some sort of movie. Bandit squealed excitedly from the stroller. Nice to know someone enjoyed the fact we were running.

At 11:34, we reached the restaurant, and were met by a short man trying to hold two baby girls in his arms. Frank looked up when we approached them, and smiled, before being smacked in the side of the head by the twin in his left arm. Gerard laughed.

"Having trouble, there, Frankie?" He asked, and Frank laughed.

"Just a bit. Anyways, I'm starving, can we go eat?" He said, as he tried to move his head away from the other twin, who was attempting to pull his hair.

Twenty minutes later, we were seated in a corner of the busy restaurant, with the 3 small girls in high chairs babbling nonsense to one another. Frank and Gerard were arguing over which Black Flag album they thought was best, and I tried to keep up with their conversation.

"...Obviously, it's _Damaged_," Gerard insisted, "It's an amazing debut album." Frank shook his head.

"Gerard, come on, _Loose Nut _is obviously so much better!" The two bickered for a moment or two, until a waitress came and took our orders. After she had left, Frank turned to me.

"So, Ember, has Gee driven you nuts yet?" I smiled, and shook my head. Gerard smiled triumphantly.

"See, Frank? Not everyone hates shopping with me." Frank laughed, and shoved Gerard's arm playfully. Frank rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, well...I still don't know why I agreed to go shopping with you guys this afternoon. Probably because Ember doesn't strike me as the type of girl to love shopping," He raised an eyebrow at me, "Unless I'm wrong...?" I shook my head.

"No, I don't really like shopping. I mean," I added as I saw Gerard look slightly hurt, "It's not so bad with Gerard – I mean, my dad. He makes it seem like more than a chore." Gerard smiled again, and Frank gasped.

"Oh yeah! I almost forgot!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out something small. "This is or you, Ember. Ray and I put it together." He handed me an iPod. I stared at it for a moment, before Gerard nudged my arm.

"Go on, turn it on!" He said excitedly, leaning over to see.

I turned it on, and started scrolling through the music on it. There were a lot of bands I'd never heard of, but some that I had, ever since living with the Ways. I smiled, and a tear ran down my cheek.

"Thank you, so much, Mr. Ie- Uncle Frank." I said. Frank's smile took up his entire face, and he got up from his seat to run over to me and give me a hug. Bandit, Cherry, and Lily looked over and started giggling.

Shortly afterwards, our food arrived, and Frank, Gerard, and I were talking about music. They were explaining so much about anything they could think of. It was a little overwhelming, but we finished our meals and sat around for a little while, talking. Eventually, the subject of school was brought up.

"So, Em, when're you going to school?" Frank asked. I looked at Gerard, who looked back at me.

"Umm... I- I don't really know." I said. Gerard spoke up.

"You can go back whenever you're ready." I nodded.

Frank stood up and put some money into the bill slip the waitress had left.

"Alright, then, let's go." He said, and Gerard and I stood up. Gerard put Bandit back into her stroller, and Frank picked up both the twins. I offered to carry one, and he handed over Lily. We left the restaurant, and soon afterwards, Frank saw a small children's area.

"Oh, thank god!" He said, and Gerard looked weary.

"What, Frank?" Frank looked up at Gerard and explained.

"We can drop B and the twins off for a while. They'll be fine – there's certified people and everything there." Gerard still looked nervous, but after a minute of talking with Frank, he agreed. As we walked away from the small area (set up in a rental area beside a clothing store), Gerard continued to look back.

We walked through the mall for awhile, looking in stores, but I never found anything I liked. All the shorts and skirts were too...short. Eventually, Frank took over, and led me to a store called 'Hot Topic'. As we walked through the front door, a short woman covered in tattoos walked up.

"Hey, welcome to Hot Topic. Need help with anything?" She asked. Frank told her that we were fine, and she studied him and Gerard.

"Are you guys Frank Iero and Gerard Way?" She asked them as soon as Frank stopped talking. Gerard nodded. Then she did something I never would've expected. The woman started crying, and she hugged them. I must've looked taken aback, because Frank nodded at me and I realized that this wasn't the first time this had happened to them. I looked away for a bit while the woman – Jane, she said her name was – spoke to them. She pointed out a tattoo on her arm, and explained it to them. Then she seemed to notice me again.

"Umm, sorry, but...are you with her?" Jane asked Gerard. He nodded.

"Yeah, this is, um, a friend of mine's daughter." I looked at him, surprised that he had lied, and noticed the woman studying me.

"She looks like...no, never mind." She looked back at Gerard and Frank, asked for a picture and an autograph, which they happily gave, and left to help another customer. I turned to Gerard when she had left.

"Why did you lie about me?" I asked, slightly hurt, and somewhat pissed off. Gerard looked down.

"I just...I don't want you overexposed. I want you to have as normal a life as possible." I calmed down, and Frank grabbed my wrist, dragging me over to a wall covered in shirts.

An hour and a half later, we left Hot Topic. I had bought new t-shirts, some shorts – that were of reasonable length – and some new skinny jeans and a hoodie. Frank had talked me into buying shirts for a few bands, all of which I had heard before and liked. We headed back to pick up Bandit, Cherry, and Lily, and began walking to our car.

"Hey, guys, d'you wanna come over for a coffee or something?" Frank asked before we got into our car.

Gerard looked at me, and I nodded.

"Sure, Frank. We'd love to." Frank nodded, and headed towards his own car as Gerard put Bandit into her car seat. Gerard turned to me once we were all seated in the car.

"You don't mind dogs, do you?" He asked, and shook my head. Gerard smiled and started driving.


	14. Chapter 14 Dogs and Tears

**hello again readers! sorry for the delays, but i've been planning out the next few chapters these past few weeks. anyway, for those of you that read this little speech, thanks, but i'll end it now so you can read. just a little heads up, this chapter goes through a lot (or so i think). anyway, keep reviewing and reading! xoxo isabella**

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><p><strong>Ember<strong>

We drove for less than 10 minutes before pulling into a driveway adjoined to a simple 2 level house. As we pulled in behind Frank's car, B started to babble excitedly. Gerard laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, B. We're at Uncle Frank's house." He got out of the car and went to collect Bandit from her car seat. I got out and looked around the neighbourhood, noticing that the houses around Frank's weren't as large as the ones around Gerard's. It seemed like Gerard and Lynz had chosen a wealthier neighbourhood, especially when some of their neighbours were other major rock stars. Gerard led the way up to the front porch, and knocked on the door. Before he had even lowered his hand from the door, we heard dogs barking, and loudly. I don't know how many dogs Frank had, but it sounded like more than two.

Frank appeared at the door, and opened it up. Dogs ran past him onto the front porch, and Gerard and I waded through them to get inside the house. Once we were inside, the sea of dogs turned around and followed us. Frank spoke loudly over the barking a few dogs were doing.

"Sorry 'bout this Ember. You probably think we're crazy or something." He laughed, and walked into the open concept living room. Gerard put Bandit in the playpen where Cherry and Lily were, and walked over to sit beside me on the couch. As soon as we were seated, some of the smaller dogs jumped up beside us and sat down, waiting to be petted. One small dog in particular was absolutely adorable, partly because it looked like a mess. The dog had been shaved recently, I thought, or it was _very _short-haired.

Frank walked into the room with 3 mugs of coffee, and stepped over a fairly chubby pug to reach the couch. He smiled when he saw the scruffy little dog that had won my heart.

"That's Sweet Pea, Em." He explained with a slight chuckle. "She's a special little girl." I looked up at him, and received a cup of coffee from him with the hand that wasn't petting Sweet Pea. I looked over at Gerard, who practically abandoned the 2 Chihuahuas on his lap for the coffee Frank was handing him. The dogs looked at him rejectedly, and hopped off the couch to sniff at the playpen the 3 girls were in.

We spent the next 2 hours talking, and Sweet Pea never left my side. I absolutely loved the tiny dog, and when Gerard got up to leave, the dog started to whimper. Frank smiled.

"Aww, she loves you, Ember. She's never been so attached to me..." He trailed off, and Gerard spoke up from beside the playpen.

"That's cause you take her to get shaved all the time, Frank." Frank rolled his eyes, but nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, probably. Anyway, come back and visit anytime, you guys." We headed to the door, followed and surrounded by the wave of dogs. I turned to Frank just as we were heading out the door.

"How many dogs _do _you have, Frank?" I asked. He frowned slightly, thinking.

"Umm...one second." He began to count the dogs around us, and I laughed. Frank looked up after a minute and smiled.

"Nine." He said, and laughed. "Holy shit, I'm the crazy dog man." As if to prove his point, a few dogs started barking. He waved his arm at them, trying to stop the barking, but gave up quickly.

"Bye, Frank!" Gerard called over his shoulder, a sleepy Bandit resting her head against his neck. I waved at Frank, but he reached forward and gave me a quick hug. I smiled, and turned to catch up with Gerard, who had already started to put Bandit in her car seat. As we pulled out of the driveway, we waved at Frank, who was standing, completely surrounded by dogs, on his front porch. Gerard yawned, and looked into the backseat at Bandit, who was fast asleep, her little hand resting on her cheek.

Fifteen minutes later, we pulled into our own driveway, and I grabbed the bags from the mall as Gerard picked up Bandit gently, trying not to wake her. We made our way up to the front door, where we were met by Jamia.

"Hey, guys! How was your day?" She asked as we trudged into the house, to find Lynz sitting on the couch with a cup of tea and watching TV game shows. She turned and smiled at us, and waved. Gerard spoke to Jamia while I took everything upstairs. As I walked back down to the living room, I heard Jamia talking to Gerard.

"...and her throat's gotten pretty sore, so make sure she doesn't talk, alright?" Gerard nodded, a look of concern growing on his face. I went and sat on the other end of the couch from Lynz, and Jamia waved goodbye as she went out the door. I looked at Gerard with confusion, and he motioned for me to wait. He walked upstairs, and a few moments later, he returned without Bandit.

"Had to put her to bed... anyways, Ember, Lynz doesn't have the flu. Well, she did, sort of, but it's now some sort of throat thing and she can't talk." I looked at Lynz, who rolled her eyes and grabbed a pad of paper and a pen, writing quickly. She held up her sign to reveal the word 'Laryngitis', and leaned back onto the couch. We sat around and watched TV for awhile, but I decided that it was too quiet between Gerard, Lynz, and myself, so I excused myself and went outside with the iPod Frank had given me.

I sat on the front porch and listened for hours, and around 9 o'clock Gerard came out to see me.

"Lynz's gone to bed, and I'm going now too. If you want to stay out here..."I nodded, and he smiled. "Alright, just lock the front door when you come inside, okay?" I nodded again, and he did something I thought was sort of unusual. He leaned forward and kissed me on the head, and gave me a quick hug. I must have looked somewhat taken aback, but Gerard just got up, said goodnight, and went inside.

I had been by myself for about 10 minutes before a figure appeared from past the driveway. It had started to get dark, so I leaned back into the shadows on the porch swing. The figure turned up our walkway and as they got closer, I knew it was a man. Just as they were about to climb the stairs, I was ready to make a run for it, but before I could, he spoke.

"Hey, Ember." It was Joey Armstrong. I exhaled loudly, surprised at how I hadn't realized I had stopped breathing.

"Don't _do_ that, Joey. I was close to screaming or something." He motioned at the seat beside me.

"D'you mind if I sit down?" He asked, and I shook my head. He sat down beside me, and I took off my headphones. I looked over at Joey, who looked as amazing as he normally did, and spoke.

"So, um, what's up? Did you come over here for something, or are you just the creepy guy who walks around the neighbourhood at night?" I asked, and he laughed.

"Actually, I wanted to come over and talk for awhile." He said, shifting somewhat uncomfortably.

"Why? What's wrong?" I asked, noticing how nervous he looked.

"It's just, umm, well..." He trailed off. I nudged his arm gently.

"Yeah?" I asked. Joey turned to face me and did something I never would've expected him to do. A tear welled up in his eye and ran down his cheek

"It's my friend. His parents just found him. He overdosed." I stared at him for a split second, and pulled him into a hug, not thinking about whether he would take it the wrong way. He didn't seem to mind. In fact, he leaned into me and began to cry more.

"Shh, Joey. Shh." I didn't bother telling him that everything would be okay. I had heard that phrase countless times when Jayden had committed, and when my mom had died... I knew from experience that no one wanted to be told they were okay at a time like this.

We sat together for a long while, and Joey cried until he was sniffling. He sat up slightly, and when I went to take my hand from his – somehow, we had ended up holding hands – he grasped it tighter.

"Ember?" He asked quietly when he had controlled the sniffling.

"Yeah?" I responded quietly, trying to talk as normally as possible.

"Thanks. A lot. And, umm, sorry." He looked away with slight embarrassment.

"Don't feel sorry at all, okay?" He spoke, but didn't look at me.

"I do, though. I showed up at your house at 9 at night, and dropped this fucking emotional bomb on you. You probably didn't want to sit here with me." He looked at me, and I smiled.

"I honestly don't care. I'd rather sit here and make sure you're okay than have you go off and do something...stupid." I thought back to when I learned that my mom had died, and shuddered.

_Useless. Stupid. Ugly. Not worth anything. No one cares what happens to you, Ember._

"Ember?" Joey asked, looking at me again.

_You're just a fuck-up. _

"Em?" Joey sounded worried, and I struggled against the voices in my head.

_Your mom doesn't care anymore._

"Ember!" Joey gave me a slight shake, and I felt tears in my eyes.

_She's gone._

I forced the tears back as hard as I could, but I couldn't make all of them go away. One rolled down my cheek and Joey looked concerned.

_Ember, hold it together,_ the voice in her head cautioned. I nodded at Joey, who was still asking if I was alright.

"What's wrong?" He asked, and I shook my head.

"Not important. Don't worry about me. Just...just take care of yourself." I nodded, and although I was speaking to Joey, I directed the last part to myself as well.

Joey wasn't buying it. "I'm fine, okay? I just needed to get that out of my system, and my parents were getting really concerned. But what's up with you?" He looked me straight in the eye, and I moved my gaze from his.

"Honestly, Joey, I'm fine..." I began, but he cut me off.

"No, you're not. You said something about not doing anything stupid and then you kinda...lost it." I looked away, and Joey pulled his hand from mine and crossed his arms.

"I can sit here all night until you tell me, Ember. You said yourself not to hold things back."

"I-I just- really, I'm fine!" I said, but I didn't sound convincing, not even to myself. Joey looked at me, and raised an eyebrow. He looked completely composed, not at all like he had just been crying. I sighed, got up, and walked over to the edge of the porch. I leaned on the railing and looked up at the moon, which was now rising over the hills and mountains in the distance.

"Alright. When my mom died..." I felt a lump in my throat as I remembered mom. Mandy. Amanda. I sat down on the porch stairs and continued, deciding to start from the very beginning. "When my friend Jayden died, I kinda lost my mind. When my mom died, I completely lost my mind..."

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><p><strong>sorry to leave you hanging like that, but i will try and update within a week or so. thanks again for reading!<strong>


	15. Chapter 15 The Past Is Hard To Face

**hello again readers! well, here's the new chapter. and it is the LONGEST ONE YET! anyway, hope you enjoy it...it was quite interesting to write, so I hope you like it. anyway, keep reading and reviewing! xoxo isabella**

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><p><strong>Ember<strong>

"Anyways, when my friend died, I blamed myself. I knew he wasn't really...happy, but I never thought he was upset enough to...to do what he did." I looked down at my lap, and played with my hands. "I blamed myself because I never really took the look in his eyes as a sign. I mean, later on, I knew, but before he, um, left, I never really thought about it."

Joey spoke softly "Em, I'm sorry. I never knew." I smiled a little, and continued talking.

"His name was Jayden. He was a great guy – he was always nice, even the people who bothered him about being gay. He was pretty good looking, too, y'know?" I asked, and took a deep breath. "Anyway, um, his mom found him. He, um, hung himself. She found him, and called 911. She came to our house to tell me. And...she gave me a note. Jay had written me a note. I still have it..." I trailed off, and Joey spoke again from the porch swing.

"Of course. That's what anyone would do, Em." I turned around on the step to face him.

"Y'know, you're just like Jay – you have never judged me. And you're just so...patient." Joey smiled, and I continued talking.

"Anyway, mom helped me get through the funeral and everything, but once I went back to school, I remembered how awful people were. There was a lot of...problems. And since I hadn't really gotten over Jay yet...I got desperate. Depressed." I paused, and turned back to Joey. "This is where it gets kinda...hard to hear. And if you don't want to hear it-" Joey cut me off, saying

"No. Say whatever you need to get it off your chest." I nodded, sighed, and turned back to face the street.

"So I got depressed. And I, um, I... please don't think badly of me, Joey." I said, a hint of begging detectable in my voice. "But...I cut." I heard Joey's sharp intake of breath, and he spoke.

"How much?" He asked quietly.

"More than enough." I said, hanging my head. I heard Joey stand up and walk over to where I was. He sat down beside me and put an arm around my shoulder. He took my arm, and pulled the sleeve of my hoodie up. I knew what he would see. He'd see the criss-crossing pattern of scars that danced their way up my arm. I looked away so that I wouldn't have to see the disgusted look I assumed he would have on his face. To my surprise, he ran his hand along my arm, and then put his hand in mine.

"If you want to finish here, Em, you don't need to talk anymore." I shook my head. I had to finish. For my mom and Jayden, if for nothing else.

"No. I-I just have to keep talking. For them." Joey nodded, and I spoke again.

"So when Jayden had been gone for a month, his mom moved. She didn't want to be reminded of him. So she packed up and went to live with her cousin in Rhode Island. Mom was there for me. She never knew about the cutting. I never told her 'cause I didn't want her to worry." I took a deep breath. "But mom sheltered me. I think she knew how hard it was for me, and she was always trying to be happy for me. I know I scared her. I was like...like a zombie. I wasn't all there. And she deserved more." My voice caught, and I cleared my throat.

"I wasn't all there. And mom tried so hard to get me back, but I never tried to go back. And then...then mom died. 4 months after Jayden took his life, my mom got hit by a car. She was crossing the street in front of the restaurant she worked at, and some drunk asshole hit her. He hit her and left her. Someone saw the hit though, and she made it to the hospital, but I never got there to see her before she-before-" Tears began to run down my face. I turned from Joey, but he pulled me into a hug.

"She was gone. Gone. I never got to say goodbye, never got to apologise. She died and I never got to thank her for the support I got from her. She _raised_ me. And I was a bitch. I gave up when Jay was gone. And when mom was gone..." I hiccupped, and wiped the tears from my eyes. "When the police came to my house, they told me everything. Then they tried to take me from the house. They were going to take me to a foster home." I quieted as the scene ran through my mind.

_I was sitting in my room, trying to get through the last of my math homework, when I heard a knock on the front door. I stood up, stretched, and hurried to the front door, going down the stairs slowly. I glanced at the clock in the hallway as I headed to the door._ 'Mom probably forgot her keys again' _I thought, noticing that she should have been home an hour before. _

_I opened the front door to see 2 police officers standing on our old porch._

"_Can I help you?" I asked, worry in my voice._

"_Are you Ember Perrola?" The shorter man asked._

"_Yes. Why? Is something wrong? Is it-is it my mom?" I asked, in full panic mode._

"_Miss, can we come in? We need to talk to you." The taller officer asked. I noticed the taller of the two was a woman. I nodded, and the officers followed me into the small living room. I noticed the younger cop look nervously at his partner, as if he was unsure of what to say. A part of me knew what was happening, but another part was trying desperately to convince the former that it was wrong._

"_Miss. Perrola, I'm very sorry, but your mother has died."_

_My mother. Dead. I laughed._

"_You're wrong." I laughed again._

"_Miss, we're sorry. She was hit by a drunk driver while crossing the street outside the restaurant she worked in. I'm sorry." The woman reached an arm out. I pulled away from her, and shook my head. I couldn't picture my mom, lying in a hospital, with a sheet pulled over her..._

_I burst into tears. The police officers looked at each other, but left me alone. I cried for what seemed like forever. When the tears and crying became dry sobs, the man stood up._

"_Miss, if you could get some things together, we need to take you somewhere where you can-" I cut him off._

"_What? I'm not going anywhere." He looked nervous, and the woman explained. _

"_We're taking you to a foster home for the night. It's late, and you need someone to watch you." I shook my head. _

"_Please, Ember." I looked away from them. I wanted my mom. But I thought for a moment, and planned what I would do._

"_Fine." I walked slowly upstairs, grabbing a few things and putting them in my bag. I was careful not to look around too much in case something reminded me of mom. I headed downstairs again, grabbing my keys to the house on my way out of my room. I followed the officers outside, not looking back part from locking the door. _

I stopped thinking, and Joey spoke.

"That must have been awful. I'm so sorry." _Oh, shit._ I thought. I had said all of that out loud.

"Oh, fuck. I'm sorry Joey. I wasn't going to say that." I frowned, and looked down. He squeezed my hand.

"Anything else?" He asked, hinting to the rest of the story.

"Yeah. Lots more. But it's late..." Joey shook his head.

"If you want to finish, go ahead." I nodded.

"Alright then. When I got to the foster home, they were falling all over me. They wouldn't leave me alone. Eventually, they went to bed, and...once they did, I ran. I grabbed my bag, and ran back home. I didn't want those strangers to tell me I'd be fine. I wanted my mom to tell me I'd be fine. But she couldn't. So I ran home, locked myself in, and did the only thing I knew how to do to cope." I paused, and Joey finished my sentence.

"You cut, didn't you?" his tone was soft.

"Yeah. The police found me the next day, and took me from the house again, but I left again that night. Since they had taken my keys, I had to break a window to get in, but I boarded it up. It's not like I did much. Just...cried. And hurt. The police came to check on me every day, but they didn't bother to try and take me out of the house. They thought I was crazy or something, but I don't really care." I paused, wording the next part of my story before I said it.

"Anyway, a few days later, the police asked me to come out. I only agreed because it was the shorter man who had come to my house at first. I hadn't spoken to him since, but he wasn't as...focused...on trying to get me out. I don't know, I just felt like I could trust him. So I went out and he told me that my mother's funeral would be the next day. He asked if I wanted to see her body before it was cremated. I almost went, too." I sighed, "But that's not how I wanted to remember her. So I went to the funeral the next day, and it was hard. I cried a lot, but I don't remember much. I know my grandparents – mom's parents – paid for it, but I never spoke to them. They're well off, but they never did anything for mom while she was alive, so I couldn't give two shits about them."

"A few days after the funeral, a friend of my mom's – he's a lawyer – he came to talk to me. Told me that he had helped my mom with her will, and that everything she had was to be sold so I could put the money away for myself – unless there were some things that I wanted to keep." I reached under my t shirt and pulled out a locket on a thin chain, and traced my finger over the black rose etched onto the silver piece. Joey watched as I turned it around, and I opened it. "That's her – that's my mom." I showed him the small picture inside of the laughing woman.

"You have her face shape – nose and all, I mean." Joey said, looking back and forth between the picture and my face. I smiled.

"Yeah. Mom was so beautiful." I smiled, closed the locket, and tucked it back under my shirt. Joey looked at me, waiting for the rest of my story.

"So, after my mom's lawyer had told me he would take care of her estate and all, he told me that my mom wanted me to go live with my dad. I thought he was joking. I mean, I knew I had a dad somewhere, like everyone else in the world – I just didn't know anything about him." Joey looked thoughtful.

"So, you didn't know anything at all about Gerard?" His forehead wrinkled as he considered it. I laughed quietly.

"Well, the lawyer told me that he lived in California, and that his name was Gerard Way. Since I had never heard of him before, I didn't expect him to be the lead singer of a rock band and a well-known artist and writer." I laughed again. "But hey, what can I do about it?" Joey smiled.

"Wow. Is that the whole story?" He leaned back against the step above him.

"Yup. That's the story of Ember Perrola-Way." I laughed. Joey looked down, and seemed to notice we were still holding hands. I blushed, and went to pull my hand back, but he squeezed my hand softly before letting go.

"This was nice." He said. "Well, I should probably head back home. Parents'll want to see me." He stretched, and stood up.

"Oh, Ember?" He asked, looking down at me.

"Yeah?" I stood up and stretched.

"Thanks. For listening to me, and for telling me your story." I blushed, and spluttered.

"Oh, um, no problem...but, um, Joey?"

"Yeah, Em?" He asked looking concerned.

"Please don't tell anyone else – about, well, anything. I mean, I'm not ready for everyone to know yet." I said quietly.

"No problem, Em. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" He smiled, and turned down the walkway. I waved slightly.

"Take care of yourself, Joey, 'kay?" I called out. Joey turned around, smiled, and nodded, before heading down the street to his own house.

I turned back towards my house, grabbed my iPod, and walked in. I didn't stop walking until I was in my room, and without changing into my pyjamas, I flopped down onto my unmade bed and fell asleep.

**Gerard**

I pulled the curtain in the kitchen shut, and leaned into the shadows of the dark living room as Ember opened the front door and entered the house. I closed my eyes, hoping that she wouldn't look in the room I was in. Fortunately, she continued walking until I heard her walk up the stairs, and moments later, I heard her bedroom door close. I walked towards the staircase and climbed it as silently as possible, cursing under my breath when I stepped on the one creaky step. I'd really need to fix that soon. I stood outside her door, and heard a soft snore. I opened the door a crack, and peeked in. I couldn't help but smile as I saw her – she snored lightly, even delicately, just like Mandy. However, she was curled up under the covers like how Mikey had when we were kids. I closed her door, and tried to process how a young girl like her could go through everything she had, and hold it in for so long.

I felt awful. Partly because I had spied on my daughter. And partly because I hadn't really talked to her about anything. She was practically alone. Or at least, alone enough to hold everything in until her neighbour – or friend, I guess, although I couldn't help but think defensively that they were moving pretty quickly for two kids that have just met – but I stopped myself before I got too concerned.

_Go to bed, Gerard. She'll be there in the morning. _

So I quietly entered my bedroom, where I was met by the sleeping figure of Lynz. As I slipped into bed, she mumbled something that sounded like my name. I stroked her hair, and she breathed softly. A few minutes later, I was fast asleep beside her.


	16. Chapter 16 Legal Issues

**okay okay you guys i know i suck. i'm sorry and you're all allowed to hate me. i'm really sorry that it's taken this long for me to update, and i'm not going to give you all a bunch of excuses. so here you go: a new chapter (and please don't hate me too much).**

** xx isabella xx**

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><p><strong>Ember<strong>

I woke up the next morning in a heap of clothes on the floor. I sat up, and could feel the bruise forming on my hip. I must have fallen out of bed at some point. Quickly, I untangled myself from the old clothes, making a mental note to do laundry at some point in the week. I shuffled out of my room into the bathroom, and splashed cold water on my face. As I looked into the mirror, I noticed the red around my eyes.

"How is that even possible...?" I muttered. I hadn't been crying since last night. I washed my face thoroughly, made a small attempt to flatten the hair that was sticking straight up, and admitted defeat. I went back to my room and grabbed some decent-smelling clothes off the floor before padding into the bathroom again.

Twenty minutes later I was clean and feeling human once again, and I followed the faint smell of caffeine down to the kitchen. There, I noticed Gerard talking to someone I never would have expected to see in California.

"David?" I muttered. The man turned and smiled when he saw me.

"Ember!" He stood up we sort of jumped into a hug, resulting in David lifting me off the ground. I smiled when he put me back down, and looked quizzically at both him and Gerard.

"Why are you here? How did you get off work? When did you get here?" I asked excitedly, and David laughed.

"Got here last night – came over to see you and your family. And I'm actually here _for _work." He said simply, sitting down across from Gerard at the kitchen table. I sat across from him, somewhat in awe over the fact that he was really there. And then I remembered that he had said he was here for work.

"What work do you have here?" I asked, and his smile fell a bit.

"We'll talk about that later. How have things been for you?" David asked, reaching across the table and taking my hand.

"Fine, it's really nice here. How have things been in Belleville?" I asked politely.

"Well, it depends on who you ask, Em." David let go of my hand and looked at the ceiling before speaking again.

"David? What's wrong?" I looked from David to Gerard and noticed that they both looked somewhat upset. And that they were both avoiding eye contact.

"Well...there's been a little problem with your grandparents." David said, reaching beside him and pulling a stack of paper from his briefcase. I started to panic. David didn't normally bring out legal documents unless he was scared of a person's reaction over the issue. I'd known him my whole life, and he'd been a good friend of my mom's. That's why he had paid for all our legal issues, and taken his free time to help us out.

"What?" I asked monotonously, staring at him until he made looked back at me.

"They want you to go back to Belleville." Gerard spat out. I looked at him, shocked, but he didn't look up from the table. I turned back to David, who hung his head slightly.

"Why? Why do they suddenly want me there?" I asked, panic creeping into my mind.

"They don't believe that you will have a...fulfilling - life here. They want you in Belleville to make sure that you are raised properly." David said.

"Raised properly? What the fuck does that mean?" I could hear the venom in my voice. David raised his hands in defence.

"Their words, not mine." David looked at Gerard, and then back at me. "I'm on your side, here, Em. I want you to be happy, and I don't think you will be in Belleville with your grandparents," I snorted, and nodded in agreement. "Anyways, I came here to warn you guys, and... I want to be here for you, alright, Em?" I looked away, and nodded.

Gerard spoke up. "David, I really appreciate this. And I've been thinking...you normally do these types of cases, right?" David nodded. "So maybe...if you don't mind, would you want to do this case?" David smiled, and nodded again.

"Hell yeah. Mandy was my best friend – Ember's like family to me. I'd do anything for her." Gerard nodded, and I looked back and forth between the two of them.

"So does this mean you're staying here? In California?" David smiled, but spoke in a less excited tone.

"Yeah. But Em, this case is gonna be tough. I mean, your grandparents can afford any lawyer they want. And their case is somewhat strong, despite the fact that your mother chose this for you."

"What can they do about it? If it was in my mom's will, they can't just change it!" I spoke loudly, and slapped my hand against the table. Wincing, I held it to my chest and cradled it for a moment before gently placing it back on the table.

"Actually, they found a loophole. I could get really technical, but there's no use...basically, they're saying that your mother's decision shouldn't be legal because someone else – me – helped cover the cost of it. There's also some shit about how they've known you longer, but that doesn't really do much..." he trailed off, and Gerard spoke again, but quietly and venomously.

"She's my daughter. As long as she wants to be here, she will be. No fucking elitist in fucking Belleville is taking her away from me. I finally get her, after missing 14 years of her life, and they decide they want her now? No fucking chance." He growled. I gave him a one-arm hug, and he squeezed me tightly.

The table was quiet for awhile, and finally David spoke up.

"Well, I've gotta go find myself a place to stay, then." Gerard offered David a place at our house, but he graciously refused.

"Nah, I get really bitchy when I'm working on a case – but I'll come by every now and then to update you guys." He got up and left, and when he was gone, Gerard and I sat quietly at the table.

Gerard spoke up.

"They won't take you, alright, Em? Not from me." He held my hand, and I looked him in the eye.

"Why were you never there before?" I asked. I saw him flinch slightly, and felt bad for asking so rudely. But this was something I needed to know.

Gerard cleared his throat. "Your mom and I were together for 2 years. I was in art school, and she was working. I thought it was really going to work out. I loved Mandy, and I was going to ask her to marry me after I was done art school." He shifted in his seat.

"One day...one day Mandy wasn't feeling so well. I left her alone; she wasn't the type to be coddled when she was sick. She came over to me, and told me she was leaving. I asked her why, and she told me she was pregnant – with you. I tried, Em. I didn't want her to leave. I wanted her, and I wanted you. But she told me that she didn't love me anymore. So I let her go." He looked away, and I noticed a tear roll down his cheek.

"I'm sorry, dad." I said, leaning into his shoulder. He sniffed and spoke again, quieter than before.

"No, I'm sorry, Em. I never really made contact with you. But y'know," He smiled, "your mom sent me pictures and updates on you. I saw you grow up, just...I wasn't with you." I smiled and hugged him.

"Yeah, you were." I laughed at how corny I sounded.

"We sound like a freaking hallmark card." Gerard laughed, and I couldn't help but join in.


	17. Chapter 17 Loopholes

**you are all allowed to hate me. i have excuses but what's the point? all in all, here's a new chapter.**

**isabella xx**

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><p><strong>Ember<strong>

I leaned forward in my seat, smacking my head off the kitchen table in the process.

"Fuck. Fuck this." Someone - Joey - patted my arm. I looked up and sighed. "I hate my life."

Joey frowned. "No, you don't. You hate being in the middle of a legal tug-of-war."

I felt a smile creep across my face. "Yeah, that too." Gerard and David were in the living room, surrounded by piles of paper and coffee mugs. Just then, Lynz walked past us into the kitchen and turned on the coffee pot for what was probably the forty seventh time today.

"I thought David didn't drink coffee," I muttered to her as she walked past me.

"He doesn't." She said, grinning. "Your father's a bit of an addict. But at least he's not making Starbucks runs anymore." I giggled, remembering when Lynz had borrowed Gerard's car and had been swamped by a mountain of receipts. She had definitely ripped him a new one, and the coffee runs had stopped immediately.

Joey tapped my arm, "Should we see what's going on?" and motioned in the direction of the living room.

I sighed, and dropped my head down again, remembering at the last possible moment to put it on the table gently. "Yes." I sighed, although I made no effort to get up. He bumped my arm again, and bribed me with a walk to the beach afterwards. I leaped up, hoping that an outing would help me clear my head.

I walked into the living room, not slowing down on my way to the front door. I called out,

"Hey how's it going good okay well I'm just gonna go-" when David stopped me.

"Hold up. New problem." Damn. So close. I glanced hopefully at the door before turning around at facing the two men I loved and hated at the same time.

"What now?" I asked hesistantly, and was met with a slight grimace from David.

"Your grandparents found a loophole." I narrowed my eyebrows, and took a deep breath. Loopholes were not good. Not when the filthy rich evil grandparents have them. David took my silence as encouragement and continued.

"They can claim that you aren't being cared for because you aren't attending school." I felt the air rush out of my lungs sharply, and leaned against the wall.

"Can't- I don't think - I'm not ready. I can't do it. Not yet." I looked desperately at Gerard, who, for the first time, wouldn't look at me.

Joey spoke up. "Isn't there a time period students are allowed, y'know, for grieving?" He looked hopefully at David, who nodded.

"Yeah, there is. Students are allowed two weeks following a death in the immediate family. Mandy passed away September 24, and today's October 20," he looked at me and frowned a bit. "You've been out of school for almost a month."

A month. Wow. Time flies when your life is starting over. I shrugged, and looked at my feet. "Then I guess I'm going to school." Quickly, I turned to Joey. "Weren't we going to the beach?" I asked, and he must have heard the pain in my voice, because he followed me closely as I headed to the door. As I pulled on my flip flops, I yelled out to Gerard and David about going out, and I started walking out before Joey had closed the door. I walked quickly and silently the whole way to the beach.

When we reached it, I kicked my sandals off and jogged out to the edge of the shore. There were a lot of kids here - I guess it made sense, as it was a Friday evening. The wind was starting to pick up, and I immediately regretted not putting my hair up. Joey touched my shoulder and told me to follow him. I blushed, and hated myself for doing so. I wanted to be friends with him so badly, that I had decided I wouldn't let any other emotion show. I was not going to mess up the one friendship I had in California.

We walked over to a pile of rocks that spread out from the shore into the ocean. Joey started to climb an exceptionally large one, but I paused.

"C'mon, you should see this!" He yelled over his shoulder. I swallowed the fear rising in my throat.

"Why? Can't we see stuff from down here?" I asked, hoping that I wouldn't have to follow him. "I don't like the idea of braking a limb." Joey laughed, as he sat on the ledge of the rock.

"You aren't that uncoordinated!" He called down, and I raised an eyebrow as if to question him. He backtracked over his previous statement. "Well, at least, you won't die." I laughed, and sized up the rock, new-found determination in my mind.

I managed to scale the wall at a decent pace, with a lot of coaching from Joey. Most of which was somewhat frustrating.

"Grab that rock, Ember."

"I know."

"Put your foot in that little indent, there!"

"Thanks Joey."

"Watch you don't fall!"

"I'll try."

"Just watch-"

"OKAY. That's enough. Thank you." I said rather loudly, and pulled myself up over the edge. Joey smiled and I tried to glare, but it only lasted a moment or two.

"Well, we're almost there." Joey said, standing up and starting to walk out onto the rocks that were in the ocean. I started to complain, but gave up knowing it wouldn't do much to sway him. I stood up and began to cautiously make my way across the rocks. I looked down to watch my footing, and when I looked up, Joey was gone.

"Joey! Oh my god. JOEY!" I screamed, starting to run, and praying that he hadn't fallen over and drowned or something, when all of a sudden something popped out of the rock ground in front of me. "SHIT!" I screamed, jumping away from it. The thing laughed, and I realized it was Joey's head poking out of an indent.

"You complete asshole." I spat out, and I kicked a small rock off the ledge with a large amount of force. I watched it sail into the water as Joey laughed. He wouldn't stop laughing, so I wedged my way into the hole in the ledge. He continued to gasp with laughter as I crawled into the space, aware for a moment that we were very close together, and I felt blush creep across my face. I quickly noticed that there was a larger space a few feet away, and half walked-half crawled into the area. I gasped when I looked out. There was a hole in the wall that made a sort of window looking out over the part of the beach where the rocks separated. It was a lot different than the public beach - there were no people, and the only lights visible were the lighthouse and some distant buildings. I didn't realize that I had been crouching in the small area until Joey came over and tugged on my hand. I followed him over and sat down beside him, looking out over the water.

"Ember." he said.

"Mhmm?" I asked continuing to look out over the ocean.

"Ember." he said again, and I turned to look at him. I almost sighed. The light was hitting him in the perfect places, making his eyes and hair seem like there were gold streaks and flecks in them. I blushed a bit - dammit - and realized I probably looked stupid.

"Yeah, Joey?" I asked, and he smiled.

"You don't have to worry about school, alright? You can come to the same school as me, and even though we're a grade apart we'll still have lunch together, alright?" He took my hand. "You're gonna be okay." I gave him a small smile and nodded.

And then he kissed me.


End file.
